Basketball Attendance Policy

October 21, 2020

By Superintendent David Probasco

The Tri-County R-VII School Board and Administration have released our Covid-19 modifications for hosting basketball games. We have taken several steps to insure that social distancing and sanitation levels can be implemented in an effort to limit the spread of the disease. The pandemic has forced us to make changes in almost all facets of our lives. Hosting an indoor event poses greater risk for spread than softball games and football games. We value our fans and community support, but the present circumstances led us to limit attendance to the families of the athletes involved. All of the changes are detailed in a separate document that will be distributed to players and cheerleaders, posted on the website, on social media, and sent to the newspaper. The athletes will be given a pass for each family member to present upon entrance to home games.
The rationale to limit seating involved several factors. The Board’s primary focus is to insure our ability to maintain in person instruction. Not taking substantial measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 would jeopardize the efforts that we are taking throughout the day to hold school. It did not seem logical to alter our school day but not make changes to how we host basketball games. The number of active cases in our county and community are at their highest levels since the onset of the pandemic. Limiting the crowd should provide families the ability to distance from other families. We want fans to be a part of the games, but if the players are positive or quarantined the games will not happen. Distancing the families in the stands helps to protect the athletes from becoming family contacts which are typically out for 24 days. Professional, college, and larger schools are all limiting fan attendance. Although our size of crowd is much smaller, we also have fewer seats and entrances. Basketball games will be some of the first large indoor public gatherings of the public since the start of the pandemic. Our hope is that by taking these protective measures games will be allowed to continue not only during the Jr. High season but also for Varsity.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we forge through these unchartered waters. The school is committed to providing a balance of opportunity and protection. It takes all of our efforts to make the best of the situation for our students.
FAN ATTENDANCE POLICY
• Admission will be limited to the family members of players and cheerleaders of the Tri-County teams. Passes will be provided to the students for their family members listed on their respective surveys. Family members will be asked to present their pass at the gate. We encourage families to purchase a Family Pass for $40 as well.
• Guest seating will be limited. School officials will communicate the number of available seats to the opposing school prior to the contest.
• Games will be streamed on Facebook Live for those that cannot attend.
• Separate entrances will be used for Home and Visitor families. Home fans will enter the East entrance, and visitors will enter the West entrance. Gatekeepers will track the names of those attending for contract tracing purposes. All fans will be temperature checked at the entrances.
• The bleachers will be marked with Home and Visitor seating sections. Rows and seats will be marked to identify specific seats in the stands to assist in contact tracing.
• Two sets of bathrooms will be available during games, and custodians will disinfect them at regular intervals throughout the night.
• Children must sit with their parents.
• Family units should socially distance in the bleachers.
• Masks are encouraged, but they are not required.
• The concession stand will be available. Partitions will be in place on the cafeteria tables.
• Jr. High Girls games will start at 6:00, and Jr. High Boys games will start no earlier than 7:15. We encourage families to attend only their respective student’s activities.
• These guidelines are subject to change due to fluctuating cases and guidelines by local, state, and federal agencies.